Manzanar War Relocation Center, National Historic Site · Photo: Dorothea Lange · Public domainLiving in Independence, CA: what to set up and who to call
An EPA health-based violation from 2024 is still open for the Inyo County Pwd - Independence water system. Independence has no town government of its own, so Inyo County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Owens Valley Unified School District.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Independence, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.
Power, water and internet
Who to call to start service at a new address in Independence.
Power comes from Los Angeles Department of Water & Power
Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (Los Angeles Department of Water & Power), a municipal utility, serves all of Independence. Its homes paid an average of 26.5¢ per kWh in 2025, about $124 a month (its average across California).
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Inyo County Pwd - Independence water system
The Inyo County Pwd - Independence water system supplies Independence: about 82% of residents live in its service area. Fort Independence serves another 12%. About 6% of homes are outside any mapped community water system, most likely on private wells, which EPA doesn’t regulate. It buys treated ground water (EPA lists Ladwp - Independence as seller) and serves 1,108 people in all.
1 health-based violation reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule Revisions), beginning Oct 2024. 78% of the 7,966 systems serving 1,001–3,300 people had none. 1 older violation is still open, since 2024: a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule Revisions), per EPA’s records.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2023–Dec 2025, was 0.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. Results below detection are reported as 0, so 0 doesn’t mean no lead at any tap.
The system’s full record: EPA ECHO report
EPA SDWIS via Envirofacts (violations pulled Oct 9, 2026) and ECHO (lead samples, 2026Q3); service area: EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3.0. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. CA1410008.
3 home internet providers serve Independence
77% of 368 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 61% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frontier | Fiber, DSL | 79% | 7,000/7,000 |
| Optimum | Cable | 75% | 500/20 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 46% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Independence’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Independence.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Independence is in Owens Valley Unified School District.
Test scores and every school: see Schools →U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.
No town hall: the county runs things
Independence is unincorporated, so Inyo County is the local government.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Jul 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Independence is in ZIP code 93526
ZIP codes where Independence residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Independence | ZIP’s residents in Independence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 93526 | Independence, CA | 100% | 94% |
Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.
Getting around, the ER and the library
One line each; the subject pages have the rest.
ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.
Questions about living in Independence
Who supplies Independence’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Inyo County Pwd - Independence water system (EPA ID CA1410008). It reported 1 health-based violation to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule Revisions). 78% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 0.0 ppb (Jan 2023–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Independence?
Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (Los Angeles Department of Water & Power), a municipal utility. Its homes paid about 26.5¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Independence?
Frontier, Optimum, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Independence?
93526. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Independence in?
Owens Valley Unified School District.
How do I register to vote in Independence?
In California you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before). Elections here are run by the Inyo County Clerk-Elections. Check your registration at voterstatus.sos.ca.gov.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- Water: EPA SDWIS (Envirofacts, pulled Oct 9, 2026), ECHO SDWA 2026Q3, EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3.0.
- Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
- Trash: OpenStreetMap, Geofabrik extract of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
- ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
- Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
- Registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
- Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
- Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.